The palmchat (Dulus dominicus) is a medium-sized passerine bird endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (split between the Dominican Republic and Haiti). It is the only species in the genus Dulus and the family Dulidae, and is related to the waxwing family Bombycillidae and the silky-flycatchers in Ptiliogonatidae. Its name reflects its strong association with palms for feeding, roosting, and nesting.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description of the palmchat in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected from the French colony of Saint-Domingue, modern Haiti. He used the French name Le tangara de S. Dominigue and the Latin Tangara Dominicensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. When the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the twelfth edition in 1766, he added 240 species that had been previously described by Brisson,
While Linnaeus placed the palmchat with the euphonias in the tanagers, it was realised in the 19th century that it's closest relatives were the waxwings and silky-flycatchers. During the twentieth and twenty-first centuries opinion has been divided on whether the three groups were three families or a single family. A second species, Dulus nuchalis, was described by William Swainson in 1838, who attributed it to Brazil. The species was referred to as the white-naped palm chat by Ridgway, who did not know where it was from but assumed it must be from Hispaniola. but this subspecies has not been accepted by other scientists.
The species is not thought to be migratory. Some have suggested that it may undertake localised movements after the breeding season, but the only evidence is a slight reduction in observed birds during this period in some areas. The species is a poor disperser and is not found on islands close to Hispaniola, although there is one uncorroborated report of a palmchat from Jamaica. or other trees and even telephone poles may be used. An important aspect of nest site selection is that the branches of the selected tree do not touch those of other trees, and therefore nesting rarely occurs in dense forest.
hese nests are also used for roosting even outside the breeding season, and are maintained throughout the year. During the non-breeding season individuals will bring twigs to the nest 5% of the time for larger nests, and up to 18% of the time for smaller nests. Twigs were often worked into the nest and manipulated for several minutes, creating structurally sound nests that hold together after falling to the ground.
The breeding season is mainly from March to June. The females lay clutches of 2-7 (mean 4) eggs The eggs of the palmchat are quite variable. They can range in colour from pale green to beige, off-white and cream and can be marked with brown, purple-grey or grey scrawls, speckles or blotches. The incubation period is around 15 days, Both parents feed the chicks, which fledge after 32 days. Ridgway's hawk, white-necked crow, and ashy-faced owl. The species is targeted by the shiny cowbird, a brood parasite from South America that has been spread through the West Indies.
Relationship with humans and conservation
The palmchat appears to have benefited from human activities in Hispaniola, having adapted well to human-created habitats, and the species is one of if not the most common birds on the island. While some declines have been recorded,